Of Baseball Mitts and Boy-Crazy Girls
by JapaneseAnimeFreak16
Summary: Tsuna knew Valentine's Day was a big deal for a lot of people, but he never placed himself in that category. Well, not until a certain Rain Guardian changed his mind on the matter. 8027 one-shot.


**Author's Note:** Now, I'm not an arrogant authoress. I know I make mistakes and such and there's always someone better, but DAMN AM I GOOD! I swear this is the cutest thing I've written in…forever. Like, seriously. I got cavities from writing this because it's so sweet and cute that I just d'awwed from cuteness overload. But seriously, I think I have a cavity omg help. Anyways, I just wanted to post this a little early so isn't flooded with V-day stories in a few short hours. Hope you guys like this! I think I did a pretty bang-up job for posting pretty much nothing for a few months. College does that to ya.

**Rating: K+**

**Warning:** Yaoi, boyxboy relationship, YamaTsuna, 8027, Valentine's Day lovin' and all that good stuff, some angst at first, CUTENESS TO THE EXTREME!

**Summary:** Tsuna knew Valentine's Day was a big deal for a lot of people, but he never placed himself in that category. Well, not until a certain Rain Guardian changed his mind on the matter. 8027 one-shot.

* * *

Tsuna knew that Valentine's Day was a big deal for a lot of people. Couples, lovers, close friends, crushes, and so on – but what scared Tsuna more than the giant teddy bears that could crush cars, chocolates that Bianchi's cooking had forever ruined for him, and flowers that made his allergies act up, were –

Girls.

_Boy-crazy_ girls.

To be exact.

While adults saw them as harmless with their 'adorable crushes' and 'cute little gifts', Tsuna saw them as wild, snarling, terrifying animals that foamed at the mouth and ripped anything that got in their way into shreds. _Shreds._

Just the thought of them made him want to "_Hiiieee!" _like no tomorrow.

Their violent competitiveness had all guys hiding under desks, lockers, or closets just to escape their wrath since most of the female popular had their attention on a select few guys. Four, precisely, and they were all Tsuna's friends who tended to follow him to and from school. That was why Tsuna wasn't all that surprised when his friends started finding chocolates and gifts almost a week before the wretched day even came – even Hibari, whose fierce reputation was enough to terrify adults and officials alike. But not girls.

Scratch that. Not _boy-crazy_ girls.

Tsuna couldn't even bring himself to be jealous. After years of being ignored by the opposite sex, he long gave up on the notion of receiving something and slowly, fear replaced his wistfulness – daydreams of a blushing Kyoko-chan shyly handing him a box of homemade chocolates had long since scattered dust, leaving dark, tousled hair and warm, smiling eyes in their wake. Now, he was just thankful the _boy-crazy_ girls didn't kill him on sight if he was ever near his popular guardians.

However, the brunette noticed something else above the Valentines Day Craze, and that was the fact that Yamamoto's smile was getting dimmer by the day.

The Sky Ring holder was sure that it wasn't because of the constant gifts and confessions– every year the taller teen seemed more amused that downtrodden to be on the receiving end of so many tokens of affection – so it must've been something else, something Tsuna couldn't quite put his finger on.

It was unsettling, to say the least.

A few days later, it was just him and Yamamoto eating peacefully on the rooftop of the school for lunch since Gokudera had confronted the teacher about picking on his precious Juudaime, and had reserved a seat for himself in the principals office. The brunette couldn't help but peek at his friend from beneath his bangs in worry – he hadn't heard Yamamoto laugh at all today.

"Hey Tsuna?"

The brunette was startled out of his speculation and worry by his friend's soft voice, jolting where he sat and looking up in surprise. He nearly blushed at the sight of his Rain Guardian's expression, sad like a lost puppy, and his heart went out to the taller teen; he was sure he looked the same way when his eyes settled on Kyoko-chan. "Yeah?" he replied just as softly.

Yamamoto didn't look at him, still staring down into his half-eaten bento like it held the secrets of the universe, "What do you do when you like someone? A lot?" amber eyes finally met his own, and he was startled by the amount of heartache and anxiety he found, " Like, you're willing to die for them? How do you let them know?"

Tsuna fidgeted slightly, his lunch long-forgotten on his lap, as he tried to figure out why this scenario seemed so familiar, why he recognized the taller teens earnest expression. So Yamamoto did like someone.

Why did his chest ache at the thought?

The questions must've been rhetorical, because the baseball player continued, "I've liked this person for a long time now, but I haven't realized just how much until recently. And I want them to know…and to like me back, but I don't know how to say everything I need to. You know? But I don't want to ruin what we have now. I just…I'm worried that I'll mess up."

Tsuna nodded mechanically, but as the swordsman spoke, he felt a stab of pain with every question – he was happy that his friend felt so strongly for someone, but at the same time it hurt to hear the absolute sincerity in his friends voice. The girl must've been something really special to get those kinds of feeling to surface in his friend, but he didn't know what to do about this situation. The only person he'd ever liked was Kyoko-chan, but that had been something like puppy-love. The way Yamamoto spoke…his feelings were nothing compared the baseball stars. His mouth was dry as he replied, "If you don't know what to say, do something to make the person realize how much you like them." His smile felt out of place, too tight and uncomfortable, but Yamamoto didn't seem to notice.

Yamamoto brightened at the thought, and Tsuna could almost see the cogs in his mind moving and turning, creating images and scenarios and a future that the brunette would never be a part of. He nodded, "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea! Thanks Tsuna!" the taller teen grinned, the dimness in his eyes disappearing altogether as he stood, "Sorry, gotta go! I have a great idea!"

And just like that, Tsuna was alone, his lunch long forgotten as nausea and dread settled in his stomach.

* * *

The days flew by after that, but Tsuna didn't pay much attention. Gokudera was always being accosted by his fangirls more often than not, struggling to get through the mobs of ravenous _boy-crazy_ girls without hurting them. He wasn't allowed to use dynamite on them, a request from his near hysterical boss one day, but the silverette desperately wished the next few days were an exception.

It was almost Valentine's Day.

The corner of Tsuna's lips quirked slightly and he sweatdropped at the sight of his Storm Guardian struggling in a sea of scary, foaming-at-the-mouth middle school girls as they tried to force homemade chocolates on him. He only felt marginally bad and slightly alarmed when Gokudera disappeared within the large crowd, but self-preservation and instincts told him to stay put.

It wasn't as if Gokudera was in any real danger…right? They'd been through worse, right?

Oh well.

Tsuna made his usual way home, hoping that Gokudera wasn't trapped in a basement somewhere being force-fed by his crazy fangirls. There was only so much the boss of the Vongola famiglia could do, after all. And it was only two days before Valentine's Day. The bomber could handle two more days. Maybe.

The brunette stopped short, however, when he received a text message from none other than Yamamoto.

_Meet me in the baseball field?_

Cocking his head to the side in curiosity, Tsuna texted back an affirmative and jogged lightly to the field. Did Yamamoto want to show him what he was going to give the girl he liked? The thought left a sour taste in Tsuna's mouth, but he swallowed the irrational sadness that welled in his gut. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize Yamamoto's happiness. He got to the gates lining the field, panting slightly as he searched the barren area for his friend.

"Tsuna!" Yamamoto called, grinning and waving from one of the batting cages decked out in his full baseball uniform.

Tsuna smiled back, a shadow of what it usually was, but he hoped Yamamoto didn't notice. He met the baseball fan halfway, feeling a little less agitated now that he was near his Rain Guardian and his soothing presence. "What's up, Yamamoto?" He blinked in surprise when his friend just turned red and looked away before thrusting an old, worn baseball mitt into his hands. "Huh? What's this?"

Yamamoto's cheeks were still red – a flattering color, Tsuna thought silently to himself, cheeks flushing just as bright – before saying, "It's my first baseball mitt. My mom gave it to me when I first started playing and I'd practice all day with my dad." A soft, wistful smile crossed his lips, "I won my first little league game with it and it's been my lucky charm since." He scratched the back of his head with a bright grin at Tsuna's awed expression. His eyes met Tsuna's and asked, "Wanna play catch for a bit?"

Tsuna couldn't say no to that face, and with a small smile, nodded.

They played for what felt like hours. First of all, Tsuna needed to learn how to throw and catch the ball without hurting himself, and having Yamamoto so close to him – warm and strong and calming – was wreaking havoc on his nerves. He slowly started to get the hang of it, and the elation he felt whenever he caught the ball or threw it correctly let him see just a little bit of Yamamoto's world, why he loved baseball so much. The worn mitt was old and frayed, but soft and loved from years of use and care.

It was almost dark before they decided to end their game. Yamamoto was grinning happily and Tsuna couldn't hold back a small, happy laugh at the childlike glee that seemed to radiate off his Rain Guardian.

"That was a lot of fun, Yamamoto." Tsuna smiled, handing the old mitt back to his friend. He frowned a bit in confusion when Yamamoto merely pushed it back into his arms along with an old baseball he hadn't seen until now. It was dirty and no longer pristine, some of the stitching falling a part, but Tsuna kenw it was just as important to Yamamoto as the glove.

Yamamoto's grin was small and sincere, earnest, and Tsuna felt his heart skip a few beats. "You keep it."

Tsuna's face exploded into millions of colors of red, looking down with wide eyes and trying not to melt into a puddle right in front of his baseball-loving friend. That's when he noticed writing on the baseball, his expression changing from surprised to disbelieving when he read the words inscribed.

_Will you be my Valentine?_

"B-But it's not even Valentine's Day yet!" was the first thing out of his mouth, and if Reborn had been around, Tsuna was sure even the little hitman would be face-palming at his stupid, stupid words.

Yamamoto gave a nervous little laugh, scratching the back of his head, "I know but I figured…we could make our own Valentine's Day. Just for the two of us."

Tsuna looked up, eyes still impossibly wide, to see Yamamoto's blushing face and hopeful expression. He didn't expect his heart to swell impossibly or for his whole body to warm up, but there was no mistake that Yamamoto had asked him, Dame-Tsuna, to be his Valentine. The enormity of the situation crashed on Tsuna like a tidal wave. Those questions – those intense, sobering words that showed him a whole new side of his guardian – were suddenly much more meaningful and breathtaking, meant so much more because of what they'd gone through together. The fact that Yamamoto had given him his lucky mitt, a gift from his beloved late mother and a token of his childhood memories, was more than Tsuna could process. Teaching him how to play his favorite sport, showing him something so precious and important, and enjoying an entire evening together...it was too much to take in.

So all Tsuna could do was blush even brighter and nod.

The look of astonishment and absolute happiness on Yamamoto's face convinced Tsuna that he would never regret this.

* * *

**Author's Note:** See? Isn't it freaking CUTE?! IT HURTS IT'S SO ADORABLE AHH! I hope you guys liked it. I love the last line for some reason. It just makes me all happy and giddy and stuff :D faves and reviews are greatly appreciated! SPREAD THE 8027 LOVE PEOPLE! AHH! Sorry for any grammatical errors, I'm just soo excited!


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